A restaurant with a bit of history

Rocky’s Restaurant in Tres Pinos is quickly turning into a place
where locals like to spend a relaxed evening with good food, great
service and an inviting atmosphere, complimented by a recent
renovation of a wonderfully historic building.
Rocky’s Restaurant in Tres Pinos is quickly turning into a place where locals like to spend a relaxed evening with good food, great service and an inviting atmosphere, complimented by a recent renovation of a wonderfully historic building.

“The local people have been real supportive,” said Tina Enz, who along with Susan Enz, Robert W. Enz and Robert F. Enz, own the restaurant. “They’ve been especially helpful with the history of this building.”

The floor is the original hardwood when Rocky’s was a general merchandise store and there’s a mural behind the bar that shows Tres Pinos in 1897.

“There’s a historic atmosphere to the town itself,” Susan said. “At the bar we have copies of pages taken from an original registrar of 1896. The interesting part about this is the registrar was found in an attic, then shared with us.”

Tina said the foursome originally didn’t expect to own a restaurant. Yet when the opportunity presented itself they decided to give it a chance. There was a lot of work to be done before the restaurant was ready for customers.

“Everything was completely gutted,” Susan said. “The only thing that you see that was original is the mural. The ceiling and walls in the kitchen were completely replaced. All the kitchen equipment is new except for the barbecue, which we took out and had steam-cleaned.”

Tina said it took about six months of remodeling before Rocky’s was ready to open. Once the building itself was ready, it was time to concentrate on the menu. With almost three decades of restaurant partnership under her belt, chef and kitchen manager Rose Nunes was ready for a new challenge.

“Some of what we have on the menu I’ve developed especially for this place,” she said. “Some are recipes I’ve developed through the years. We’re still searching out local suppliers and being introduced to local products. As I learn more about what’s available in this area, the menu will continue to change and grow.”

Nunes said with winter coming, more stews and heavier meals will be offered, and the staff plans to include seasonal changes when modifying the menu. The focus now is on specials and appetizers, especially those served during Monday Night Football.

Nunes is already developing a reputation for culinary excellence with her bread pudding with butter sauce, lemon prawns, fish and pasta specials, prime rib and filet mignon with roast peppers.

Getting the food to the customers in a timely manner is equally important. Floor manager Stephanie Perrien is responsible for making sure everything is running smoothly.

“We get a lot of families in here,” she said. “We have booster seats and high chairs ready for families with small children. There’s also a children’s menu. Upstairs we have a room that’s nice and private. It’s great for candlelit dinners or small private parties. We’re also equipped to handle parties of all sizes.”

Monday Night Football is already a big hit.

“We have a special menu on Monday Night and cheaper beer,” Perrien said. “We’re getting tons of people in here on Monday nights. We have appetizers and sandwiches. At the end of every Monday Night we give away free (San Jose) Sharks tickets.”

“We wanted Rocky’s to be a fun place for everyone to come to,” Tina said. “It’s a come-as-you-are, families-welcome, home-cooking kind of place.”